Most people sees that board games are for entertainment only, but this is not quite true. Board games have a series of direct and indirect benefits that can have a direct impact in your current life and in your future. To explain why it’s good for you, here are the health benefits of board games:
Dementia
The risk of cognitive decline, usually related to Alzheimer’s and dementia, can be highly reduced when playing board games. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are responsible for complex thought and memory formation. Keeping these areas of the brain active will help you build and retain cognitive associations. If you’re young, it will help you reduce the risks of dementia in the future while if you’re already in a more advanced age, it’ll help you build new connections in your brain and reduce the progress of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Blood Pressure
Having fun has a direct impact in your blood pressure. When you are laughing your body increase its endorphins levels which in turn helps the muscles to relax and blood to circulate. This whole process can lower your blood pressure, but be careful to choose a game where you can have more fun than be competitive. If you are, like me, a very competitive person, it can instead elevate your blood pressure.
Immunity
Negativity and stress are proved to be reasons that may take your immune system down. The happiness and laughter that follows when playing a board game also releases neuropeptides that can boost your body and reduce your stress.
Coordination and Dexterity
Some board games requires more from your fine motor skills to move pieces around, for example the game Ubongo. As everything else in life, regular practice will improve both your coordination and dexterity, which is most important for children or adults with mental or physical disabilities.
Child Development
Board games can help children development in a number of ways. It can help children develop logic, critical thinking, boost spatial reasoning, increase verbal and communication skills (i.e. Scrabble), attention span, focus, math (i.e. Monopoly) and teamwork.
While we have video games being more and more popular, not to mention smartphones and tablets, people still love to play board games and have fun together. It’s a way of connecting with people you like and improve your overall health.
If you think I forgot to mention something in this article, please leave a comment below.
Based on 5 Health Benefits of Board Games by Kathy Flute
4 Comments
Wow, this post is so amazing simply because i learned so many new things. I honestly never knew that board games had so many benefits besides just passing time and stimulating the mind. I best get playing them more so i won’t have to worry about dementia down the road. Still so amazed at how cool this info is… I must ask; what’s your favorite board game? Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m glad you found this information useful. That’s my goal 🙂
My favourite is Ticket to Ride. As much as I play other games, I always come back to it.
I absolutely agree. Board games are indeed played for fun, excitement, and enjoyment. But that is not all you can actually benefit from board games in other ways as well. You can learn and develop from them in a number of ways.
What is your favorite board game?
Personally, I don’t have a favorite I’m down to play any of them! 🙂
Thanks for your comment Mugen, I appreciate it.
I like to play all of them as well, but I keep coming back to Ticket to Ride which I always have so much fun and with the many boards you can choose (USA, Europe, Asia, etc) I never get bored.